


Sharing Holiday Cheer

by ivanolix



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Holidays, Pre-Canon, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-29
Updated: 2009-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-22 03:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/233259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivanolix/pseuds/ivanolix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee first meets Kara Thrace on Christmas Day. This is how you fall in love with your brother's girlfriend. (A slightly fluffier retelling of the Daybreak flashbacks, so background Kara/Zak established.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharing Holiday Cheer

**Author's Note:**

> For rayruz, because she asked for something like this on her wishlist.

Lee was roused at 1am by his brother’s phonecall. “Time zone difference, Zak,” he mumbled into the receiver. “And it’s Christmas Eve.”

“Wanna have Christmas with me?”

Lee poked the heel of his hand into his eyes, rubbing enough of the sleep away so that he could hear. “Hmm? You’re not just, I don’t know, drinking yourself around town this year?”

“Lee—” Zak’s voice broke off, and the excitement sounded almost like static in his voice. “No—Lee, not this year. We’re having dinner together, me and Kara, and since she doesn’t have family, I thought I could invite you.”

“Hmwhat?” Lee sat up, shaking his head and pulling his legs up so he could lean forward. “Who?”

“Kara, my fiance—or maybe, if I ever propose.”

“Your what?” The disbelief drove all sleep from Lee’s mind, and he pushed his hair out of his eyes. “You can’t be serious. Why do I not even know who this person is?”

“Well, I haven’t told anyone...I’m still not telling Dad...” Zak said, sounding hesitant. “See, Lee, I have to graduate first. Kara’s an instructor.”

Lee groaned and let his head fall forward to smack his knees. “Gods, Zak, seriously?”

“Don’t use that tone till you meet her. Lee, this woman—she’s like a god. Just come, please? And don’t you dare be anything but nice.”

“Sure, no problem,” Lee intoned.

“And no stealing!”

“Goodbye Zak.” Lee rolled his eyes and hung up, yawning and letting his head fall back onto the pillow. A couple seconds later, his fax machine spat out the directions to the house of this ‘Kara Thrace’ that his brother was planning to propose to. Despite the tact about not telling Dad, Lee’s meter for ‘shit I’ll need to rescue Zak from’ was registering dangerously high levels.

He had a feeling that Kara Thrace would be something else.

***

Lee knew how to start off on the high ground in an unknown situation, and walked a couple blocks from Kara’s apartment building to pick up flowers. The snow crunched under his boots, and his hands shivered under his wool gloves—Caprica was playing it traditional this year. He mounted the stairs of the old building, finally coming to the door marked on his directions.

He knocked, and breathed out, clouding the air.

From slightly below he heard a feminine, “Just a second!”

Adjusting his coat and scarf just to be sure, he cleared his mind to be ready for whatever impulse woman he was just about to meet.

The door opened—and a trickster goddess stood there with a face that blinded him with something he couldn’t name. His ‘Hi, I’m Lee, Zak’s brother’ nondescript greeting plopped down into the slush at his feet.

Kara Thrace grinned at him, cheeks flushed with the sudden temperature change, short blonde hair slightly ruffled with the dry cold air. “You must be...” she started.

“Lee,” he managed to get out, smiling because he didn’t know what else to do. He cleared his throat, trying to catch himself again.

“Right,” she acknowledged, eyes alight with good humor as her broad smile hadn’t faded. “Come on in?”

“Here,” he said, offering the now-chilled bouquet.

“Aww, you didn’t have to do that,” she said, tipping her head along with her flattered tone. “I’ll have to find them some water.”

Lee just shrugged. Never mind the high ground he’d been trying for as the protective older brother—Kara Thrace had it bought, paid for, and insured, and he wouldn’t dream of trying to capture it back from her. Not yet, at least.

He dragged his eyes away from her and her v-neck red sweater as she hopped down the stairs into the living area, him following at a slower pace, eyes catching the free-flowing paintings in bold colors on the walls.

“Zak, he’s here!” she called, skipping the last step and moving into the kitchen with the flowers.

Lee found himself watching her more than the apartment, feeling that if he could just read her, that was all he’d ever need. To help Zak, of course.

Zak came out from some back room, an apron around his waist and a flour stain on his face. “Look who keeps getting uglier by the day!” he crowed, clapping his arms around Lee.

Lee smiled. “Zak.” He could see his brother giving him a look, a ‘see what I told you?’ look, and knew that his stunned-and-interested expression spoke for it all.

Zak grinned and gave him a squeeze, happy and smug at once for passing the approval test. “So, you’ve met my better half.”

Lee’s eyes were already on her, and never had truer words been spoken. He knew Zak wasn’t going to regret this one—Lee certainly wasn’t.

***

And then he realized the mistake he’d made. Sitting at the dining-area table, as Kara and Zak were putting the last pie together in the kitchen, he recognized the odd feeling in his stomach as jealousy. Not just a friendly disgust at how cute his brother was being, sucking the little splatters of pumpkin off Kara’s face as she whirred the filling together, grinning as she splattered him back and licked the tip of his nose clean. No, he’d fallen for Kara Thrace, just like that, and he shouldn’t have.

“Hey, come on, Lee!” Zak called from the kitchen, as Kara stooped to put the pumpkin pie in the oven and pull out the freshly baked rolls. “Don’t be such a lump.”

“What do you want me to do?” he asked, standing and walking to the counter that separated the kitchen, and trying to gather himself.

Zak shrugged as he started wiping the board they’d been using.

“Well,” Kara started, grabbing something from the refrigerator and walking over to the counter. Her eyes sparkled with more than the reflection of the Christmas lights. “Want to whip my cream?”

Lee felt himself choke, completely captured by the look on her face.

She grinned, and tossed something to him.

His hands scrambled for it, and he looked down and saw a pint of whipping cream. A shaky exhale didn’t do much to help hide his momentary distraction. “Ah,” he started, shaking his head a little. “Well, I’ve never done it before.”

Kara laughed. “I’m sure you’ll be great at it,” she said, just slightly under her breath. She waved a hand at the electric mixer, and her eyebrows danced up and down with amusement.

Lee swallowed and got to work. Oh yes, this was such a mistake. And he didn’t care.

***

The dinner was great, and so was the conversation. Lee had forgotten just how much fun his brother could be when they weren’t arguing about Dad, and since Zak had declared that subject off-limits for the sake of the holiday, there were much more interesting stories to tell.

“No, no, it wasn’t that bad,” Lee protested, setting his wine glass down so he could gesture with his hands.

“Sure,” Kara said with a skeptic snort, despite the humor in her eyes.

“It was,” Zak confirmed.

“It wasn’t,” Lee said firmly. “Let me tell it—it was just after 2am, New Year’s Day, and Zak and I were walking home.”

“Drunk,” Zak put in.

“That’s kind of expected,” Lee said dryly and rolled his eyes at him. “Yes, drunk. And Zak was feeling sick, so we ducked into the first bar we saw.”

“Of course you did,” Kara said, innuendo in her tone. “The first bar you saw, that’s all.”

Lee gave her a look, but she just snickered and took another sip of wine. “So Zak ducked into the bathroom, and I stood by the bar. This huge guy is standing there with his back to me, and he turns around and kind of leans in and says, ‘Hi, I’m Karl.’ And I just say, ‘Lee’, and kind of smile.”

Zak lost it, leaning over his plate as he bit back laughter.

Kara clapped her hands with just-over-the-top glee. “Oh, don’t stop, this is getting _good_.”

Lee found himself flushing a little. “And so he was smiling back and saying something about Raptors, and then Zak comes out and I finally realized that he was hitting on me,” he finished, the final words under his breath.

“Oh wait, you can’t leave out the last part!” Zak objected, catching his composure.

Kara sat up straight in a jerking movement. “Did you say Karl? And he was talking about Raptors? Tall guy, square jaw, teasing look?”

Lee nodded, slightly suspicious now but glad that the emphasis was no longer on him.

Kara dissolved into giggles that didn’t seem like the woman he’d gotten to know tonight, only they seemed exactly like her too. “Oh gods—oh gods!”

“What?” Lee and Zak demanded at the same time.

She shook her head, unable to speak for a second. Then, gasping, “Zak, what did you say about a last part?”

“Oh, don’t make me tell that,” Lee sighed. Zak was enjoying this too much.

“You’d rather have my embellishments?” Zak asked, leaning over the table.

Seeing how over-drunk he was, Lee decided not to risk it. “Okay, okay.” He turned his eyes back to Kara, who wore intrigue like an old favorite flannel shirt—and suppressed his hesitation as he realized he wanted her attention to stay on him a few seconds longer. “So, Zak comes out, and he’s still way tipsy, and he comes over to me and is all, ‘Lee, I’m ready to go’, and kind of leans on my shoulder for support. Then Karl says, ‘Oh, such a shame when you pretty ones are already taken’, and winks at me. That’s it. We left. The end.”

Kara and Zak fell apart again in teary laughter, and despite the high color in his face, Lee couldn’t help but choke back a few laughs as well. The wine was running warm in his veins, and looking at Kara, he couldn’t imagine trying to oppose her mood.

“So see,” he tried to pull a conversation back, his voice only slightly unsteady. “Not that bad—I didn’t actually hit on someone at a gay bar. Not on purpose.”

Kara let out one last giggle. “Actually, that’s a little better and a little worse at the same time. Gods, Lee, I don’t doubt that it happened, though.”

Lee’s blink of surprise made him miss if Kara added a wink to that comment. “So, this Karl?” he said, trying to switch the subject.

“Old friend of mine, and such a manwhore,” Kara said, shaking her head. “I am _so_ bringing this up when he next stops by.”

“So now,” said Zak, voice slightly blurred as he stood up, swaying gently. “We get to the last tradition.”

“Tradition?” Lee said skeptically, the words coming out a little faster than his non-intoxicated reserve would have called for. “We don’t celebrate Christmas together enough to have traditions.”

“I’m making one up, then,” Zak said, giving him a defiant look that wobbled. “So you can just suck it, bro.”

Lee shook his head, but chuckled.

Zak walked over to Kara, and though Lee’s heart stopped for a brief second as his hand went to his pocket, all he pulled out was a tiny sprig.

“Mistletoe?” Kara chortled.

“Christmas is a time of love,” Zak said, the last word elongated by his teasing and drunkenness alike. He stooped, kissing her long and noisily.

Kara made a humming noise against his mouth, and apart from the burst of desire that ran involuntarily through Lee, he felt the slight pang of jealousy again. Zak broke it off, though, and moved over to Lee’s side of the table. Crushing him in a sideways hug, he planted an exaggerated kiss on Lee’s cheek. “In honor of the story,” he added.

Lee hit him on the shoulder. “You’re drunk.”

“Totally,” Zak said with a lopsided smile. “But Christmas means you’re allowed to be drunk, and everybody kisses everybody.” He waved his hand towards Kara. “C’mon, Kara, prove me right.”

Lee’s heart almost stopped again, and he realized that his desires weren’t as safe as they’d seemed when they were entirely unattainable. “Zak, we don’t have to...”

“Don’t be such a prude,” Zak said, taking his seat and handing Lee the mistletoe with a roll of his eyes. “Everyone kisses everyone.”

“Unless he doesn’t like girls,” Kara said, with a waggle of her brows as she rose from her seat.

Lee snorted, and stood up, pushing his chair back. “Don’t push it,” he warned.

She was getting incredibly close, leaning into him, the tops of her breasts exposed by her red sweater’s neckline, but her face even more beguiling. The curve of her lips was begging for him to worship them with his, and so why was Zak tempting him like this?

“So, the twig?” she said, standing in his personal space at last, eyes twinkling up into his.

“Right,” Lee breathed out. Letting his eyes roll momentarily, he held the mistletoe dramatically over their heads.

Kara leaned in, and without needing to think, Lee let himself fall into a kiss. Her skin tingled against his, and with his eyes shut all he could feel was her. She smelled sweet and spicy, just a hint of solid earthiness beneath it, dragging him into her presence. His other hand moved to her waist, and without meaning to he pulled her a little closer, kiss deepening.

The tiniest of noises sounded in the back of her throat, and Lee had to gasp for breath at the jolt of arousal that shouldn’t be coming to him, but so inescapably was. But as his mouth opened to take in more air, she just opened her mouth to his, and suddenly he could taste her and the rest of the world disappeared. He could feel his hand tremble, his arousal now needy and painful, and he wanted to claim her mouth completely.

Her fingers were at the back of his neck, merciless, as she kept kissing him, her tongue finally darting out and flicking at his lower lip. He jerked his eyes open, saw a too-familiar cloud in hers, and pulled back with a quick intake of breath.

“Nice,” murmured Zak from across the table.

“Pervert,” Kara shot at him, raising her eyebrows at Lee as she returned to her seat.

Lee sat down to hide the inappropriate evidence of exactly what that kiss had done to him. Zak seemed oblivious in his holiday bliss, having thoroughly meant it about spreading the love. But Lee wasn’t so sure that he meant anything more than superficiality.

Glancing down the table, he caught Kara’s eyes on him, grey-green and still shining bright. He realized that he wasn’t sure how much of her act had been to tease Zak. It didn’t help his arousal, and it didn’t help the vague sense of guilt growing in him. But, holding her gaze for that second, a part of him wanted to believe that it was mutual.

Kara smiled at him as she took another sip of wine, and yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t read that smile.

***

Zak fell asleep in his chair a glass later, and with a teasing laugh and comment about his snoring, Kara stumbled up to clear the table. Lee helped her, trying not to bump into her for both politeness’ sake and for the sake of holding back his insane attraction to this woman.

They finally had all the plates and silverware in the sink, the dishes resting on the counter. Zak had fallen forward, face planted on the table, slightly drooling in a way that reminded Lee of the good times in their childhood. They were grown up now, and things had changed—Lee caught Kara’s eyes resting warmly on the same sight, before she turned to him.

“You can hold your liquor,” she said under her breath, eyes very much alive.

Lee remembered Zak’s comment about how she was like a god, and without planning to, he’d almost adopted the same terminology in his own head. “This much, at least,” he responded aloud.

“I’d suggest shots, but we have New Year’s next week,” Kara said, grinning. “I want you recovered for a proper contest then.”

“Oh really?” Lee said, still finding it slightly hard to breathe when he looked at her. “I’m invited then?”

“You and your iron stomach, yes.” Kara leaned slightly against the counter, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I may have wicked plans for drinking your ass under my dinner table.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lee countered, not quite meaning to lean in towards her until after he’d done so. Her gaze faltered for a second as she breathed in, and Lee stood back up. He awkwardly gestured his hand back towards the coat rack. “I should probably go start recovering, then.”

“I’d plan on it,” she said, the self-assured teasing back in her voice. Maybe he’d just imagined the faltering; he might not be totally gone, but he couldn’t deny that he was drunk, and attraction twisted the facts anyway.

“It was nice to meet you, Kara Thrace,” Lee said, putting out his hand.

“Likewise, Lee Adama,” she answered and clasped his firmly.

Ignoring the sparks in even such a touch, he nodded and went to find his coat.

“New Year’s Eve, then,” she called softly, going over to Zak. “Be there.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he called back quietly, putting on coat and scarf and gloves before climbing the stairs to the door.

The icy air outside Kara’s apartment stopped his physical arousal right where he stood, but for a second he stood and felt a little hazy anyways. He took a deep breath and started walking, resolute in staying upright and focused. There were so many reasons why it probably wouldn’t help him to attend that party and be around his brother’s girlfriend who had snatched his heart away from him in a matter of seconds. And yet, there were so many reasons why he would do anything to be there.

He didn’t even feel that guilty about giving in to the latter.


End file.
